[ad_1]
The Government spokesperson, Jaime Bellolio, referred to the request of the Army to move the statue of General Manuel Baquedano, installed in the square of the same name, currently the “ground zero” of the demonstrations since the beginning of the social outbreak, to a place close to the offices of the military institution so that they could protect it.
In an interview with the channel 24 hours, the La Moneda spokesperson assured that if the change of the memorial is made, which will be analyzed by the Council of National Monuments (CMN), dependent on the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage – would be “surrender to vandalism.”
Yesterday Sunday, to commemorate a year of 18-O, the statue of General Manuel Baquedano had been painted red again by protesters. In addition, a giant eye had been installed for the victims of ocular trauma due to impacts from tear gas and pellets.
During the early hours of this Monday, and for the second time, the monument was cleaned and repainted in its original colors.
“We know that the Army has sent this request, obviously that it is being evaluated on its merit. But it seems to me that removing the statue of Baquedano from there is like saying that we surrender to vandalism. And I think that is not the signal that we should give to those of us who like democracy“said Minister Bellolio.
At the same time, he defended the restoration of the statue to its original color: “When I see in some people on Twitter and in some extreme left politicians that it is an affront to the mobilizations that are going to paint Baquedano again, what are we talking about? If the vandalization of our national symbols, of our identity, of our past, that is the affront “, he asserted.
“If it is finally decided to move it to another place it is fine, there will be good reasons to do so. But we cannot let ourselves be given up by a group of vandals who do not believe in democracy“, he stressed.
